Maliki Urges Parliament to Complete Iraq's Vacant Cabinet Posts

Nuri Maliki called on the Iraqi Parliament to approve candidates for the federal government’s remaining vacant ministries, saying the democratic process needs to be put back on track. He made the appeal in Baghdad after a meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. At a joint news conference, Maliki said the two sides discussed the functioning of the democratic and national framework and urged that confidence votes for the empty ministerial portfolios be completed. He said he was optimistic that the process would be corrected through approval of the remaining ministries. The Iraqi Parliament last Thursday approved 14 ministers for the Zaydi government and its program, while postponing votes on the remaining nine ministries until after Eid al-Adha. Political disputes over the division of ministries are still ongoing, and the report also referred to international warnings over the inclusion of armed groups in the new cabinet.